Nigeria–Canada Cultural Exchange: Anyaduba Gifts Queen Idia Painting to Chief of Staff to Canada’s Prime Minister

In a symbolic moment of art & cultural diplomacy in Mississauga, Ontario, Nigerian Cultural Diplomat and Convener of the Flavours of Nigeria Festival, Chukwuebuka Anyaduba, presented one of his recent paintings, Queen Idia, to Marc-André Blanchard, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Marc Carney, at the fundraising dinner hosted by Shafqat Ali, President of Canada’s Treasury BoardBoard.

The event, aimed at mobilizing support toward building a better & stronger Canada, brought together Members of Parliament, including Sameer Zuberi, alongside provincial legislators and senior government officials. Within this high-level setting, the presentation of Queen Idia painting served as a strategic soft-power gesture, positioning Nigerian heritage within Canada’s political and policy space.

Co-Convener of the festival & Mayor of Brampton’s Business Ambassador Akin Oduntan engaged Marc-André Blanchard on expanding Canada’s trade missions to Africa. Blanchard noted that Nigeria is a country of interest, while stressing that stability is key to meaningful and sustained bilateral engagement.

Queen Idia, the 16th-century Queen Mother of the Benin Kingdom and symbol of FESTAC ’77, represents resilience, leadership, and African unity.

According to Anyaduba, The exchange formed part of a broader Nigeria–Canada cultural diplomacy effort as preparations advance for Flavours of Nigeria Festival Canada 2026, scheduled for 15th August at Gage Park, Canada. This reinforced the festival’s vision of deepening bilateral engagement through art, culture, and dialogue.